Regardless of MOS if you recognize or participated in any of the events listed on this Time Line page and would like to contribute any information, personal stories, documents, media articles, photographs, or, if you can provide information on any events not listed, please take a moment to contact the History Project Manager at the Email Link provided for you on each page. Your contributions are important to the recording of the Battalion history and always welcomed here.

Please take the time to report any broken links on this page to the Webmaster via the above Email Link.

Send your photographs as .jpg via the Email Link at the top of this page. Scan them as large as you can, one to an Email and include as much information as you can. Direct any questions via the Email Link.

At the start of the year Battalion HQ Detachment and its letter companies were headquartered subordinate to the 4th U.S. Army, Fort Hood, Texas.

January

12 January

"How many men who listen to me tonight have served their nation in other wars? How very many are not here to listen? The war in Vietnam is not like these other wars. Yet, finally, war is always the same. It is young men dying in the fullness of their promise. It is trying to kill a man that you do not even know well enough to hate. Therefore, to know war is to know that there is still madness in this world. For we have children to teach, and we have sick to be cured, and we have men to be freed. There are poor to be lifted up, and there are cities to be built, and there is a world to be helped. Yet, we do what we must. I am hopeful, and I will try with the best I can, with everything I've got, to end this battle and to return our sons to their desires. Yet, as long as others will challenge America’s security, and test the dearness of our beliefs with fire and steel, then we must stand, or see the promise of two centuries tremble." President Lyndon B. Johnson

31 January Citing Hanoi's failure to respond to his peace overtures during the thirty-seven day bombing pause, President Johnson announces bombing of North Vietnam will resume.

February

Two months before the Battalion was put on alert for overseas movement PVTs Gary W. Short and John P. Roides, future MPs of A Company who would travel to Vietnam in October, were still attending basic training at Fort Hood, Texas. At that time Fort Hood was the home of the 2nd Armor Division, 4th U.S. Army.

April

27 April The Battalion was alerted for overseas movement. They were informed it was to the Pacific Theatre, but everyone knew they were going to Vietnam.

A class on 'Mines and Booby Traps' was presented by the 15th Support Brigade, and the Battalion received Republic of Vietnam Orientation which included lectures and films, and field training in ambush techniques. The immunizations of all personnel were also brought up to date.

"We spent weeks at a time out in the hills and brush of Fort Hood, Texas training for Vietnam. We would come in on weekends, shower, etc. and go out the next week. It was a bit rough living in shelter halves, drinking coffee you could eat with a knife and fork, and putting up with the largest tarantulas and mosquito's I have ever seen." SP/4 Cecil A. Rhodes, C Company, 720th MP Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas and Vietnam,1966-1967.

"The green T-shirts, shorts and handkerchiefs we had were not standard Army olive drab (OD) green. There were no official OD greens issued to us. We bought all the green type dye at the post exchange (PX) at Fort Hood, Texas, and dyed everything ourselves at the base laundromat. After we finished dyeing the clothing we didn't realize that you should run the machines on a wash cycle to get rid of the green dye remaining in the washing machines. The next people to use the washing machines were surprised to see their clothes come out looking tie-dyed green!" Journal of SP/4 Allan M. Portnoy, Fort Hood, Texas, B Company & 615th MP Company, 720th MP Battalion, 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, Vietnam, October, 1966 to October 1967.

White Hat Duty

Khaki Uniform

"I was "non-deployable" for a time and I missed most of the field training before the battalion left for the Nam. I was waiting for a class date for OCS (Officers Candidate School) so they classified me as non-deployable, I lived with the short timers who were still pulling duty and I also kept pulling duty. They would rag me pretty hard about how much time I had to go in the service since I was going to be an OCS candidate. But it was a party about every other day when someone was getting out and that was a great perk.
Well, I decided not to go to OCS and I suppose you could say I volunteered for the Nam. I figured I had a better chance with the guys I knew and besides I'd get out after my tour of duty in the Nam so that's the route I took.
So after running through the chain of command I was deployable. Captain Farmer (Berkwood M. Farmer) was disappointed, I was sort of an unofficial aid to him, running errands for him on my off duty time. First Sergeant Givens (Julius E. Givens) also quizzed me on my decision as he let me know where the unit was going. It was only rumor we were going to the Nam. They had only told us we were being deployed to the "Pacific Command".
By the time I joined the training they were going to the field learning to dig "sophisticated" fox holes and waiting for aggressors to hit them. At times we got to play the aggressor and we would lay in ambush for late night convoys, ‘zapping’ each other with blanks and flares. There was a certain amount of training that was worth while I guess.

White Hat Duty

Class A Uniform

We certainly learned to go long hours without sleep. But for overall preparedness for the Nam I think it was inadequate. As much contact as we had with the Vietnamese population they should have put some of us through language training. Especially learning to read identity cards and things of that nature.

Although I do recall learning about the ID cards after we were in country. We were also busy packing conex's and getting the motor pool equipment (jeeps and trucks) ready to ship."SP/4 Gary C. Watts, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas and 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, Vietnam, October 1966 to October 1967.

Soon the comfortable familiarity of the friendly surroundings and routine MP duty at Fort Hood, Texas would change with the Battalions deployment overseas. Feelings were mixed, some thought of it as a new adventure, some an unwanted annoyance, however, all were concerned with what awaited them in South Vietnam.

The Battalion conducted inspections of personnel and equipment in preparation for their deployment during the last weeks at Fort Hood, Texas. The barracks were emptied and all unit signs and identification of the Battalion were removed.

29 September At 0900 hours (9:00 AM) Company A and two Platoons of Company C departed Fort Hood, Texas, by railway for Oakland Army Terminal, California.

1300 hours (1:00 PM), HQ Detachment, Company B, and the remainder of Company C departed Fort Hood by air and arrived at Oakland the same day.

"When we left Fort Hood it was on an old fashion "troop train." The train accommodations were pretty good as we all had sleeper compartments. We were instructed to pull the window blinds down when going through a town. But I'm sure not many did as it was always fun to see if you could spot a good looking girl.
It was interesting to stop in some towns and you'd see the porters running into the station, emerging a few minutes later with sacks of goods. The biggest items were pints of whiskey and candy bars. Seems to me it was $5 for a pint and 25 cents for a 10 cent candy bar. Cost increases dictated by supply and demand.

It was a good trip through the Southwest to Oakland California. The train took us right up to the docks. Guess they didn't want anybody taking an unauthorized leave. So they herded us aboard the ship." SP/4 Gary C. Watts, A Company, 720th MP Battalion, Fort Hood, Texas and 89th MP Group, 18th MP Brigade, Vietnam, October 1966 to October 1967.

30 September At 0400 hours (4:00 AM), Company A and two platoons of Company C arrived at Oakland Army Terminal, California.